Kalidas Karmakar, the internationally acclaimed painter and printmaker who significantly advanced Bangladeshi art through his fascinating art, shocked the world with his sudden demise on October 18, 2019, at the age of 73.
The artist was remembered on the third anniversary of his death in an exclusive commemorative event on Tuesday night at his Bangla Motor residence in the capital.
In remembrance and celebration of the beloved artist – fondly called “Kali Da” – several acclaimed artists and renowned personalities joined the event, discussing the majestic life of Kalidas Karmakar.
The vibrant list of speakers and guests included WildTeam Chairman Enam Ul Haque, veteran artist Biren Shome, Ekushey Padak winning Bangladeshi artist Dr Farida Zaman, Assistant Professors of Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Arts Drawing and Painting Department Kamal Uddin and Bishwajit Goswami, New York-based eminent artist Khurshid Alam Saleem, legendary artist Hamiduzzaman Khan, Gallery Cosmos Executive Artistic Manager Sourav Chowdhury and others.
“Kalidas Karmakar is my classmate from Faridpur High School and has been a lifelong friend of mine. He and I shared so many memorable incidents, and because of his inspiration, I showcased my photographs in three exhibitions, including my expedition to Antarctica. He had always been an unimaginably cheerful man, aside from being a legend in the Bangladeshi art scene,” Enam Ul Haque said at the event.
Freedom fighter and veteran artist Biren Shome said, “Right after the Liberation War in 1971, Kalidas Karmakar was one of the pioneers bringing the energy in our art sphere. He was a man who always embodied freedom and youthfulness.”
Kalidas Karmakar’s eldest daughter Dr Konka Karmakar reminisced about her father, saying, “Everyone knows him as a legendary artist, but I have been fortunate to get his love as his elder daughter. He was a larger than life soul, a great cook, a traveller; a complete role model – not only as an artist but also as a father.”
At the event, Dr Konka Karmakar and Biren Shome alongside, Gallery Cosmos Executive Artistic Manager Sourav Chowdhury, jointly handed over the certificates and prize money to two young and promising artists, Fakhrul Islam Mazumder and Md Rafiqul Islam, as recipients of the ‘Kali Artist Residency Grant.’
The yearly grant was launched on the second death anniversary of Kalidas Karmakar last year, allowing its recipients Tk 2,00,000 and access to practice at the Cosmos Atelier71 for three months, along with other artistic facilities. The recipients have recently rounded up their working projects at the Atelier71.
Family, friends remember artist Kalidas on 3rd death anniversary
Handing over the grant, Sourav Chowdhury said, “For our Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier71, Kalidas Karmakar has always been a family member and a guardian angel since its inception. Though his sudden departure has left us with a void, we are glad to honour his legacy by presenting these tokens of our appreciation to these two amazing artists, and we know that Kali da is always with us in spirit.”
A maestro of printmaking, especially viscosity printing, Kalidas Karmakar’s diverse artworks featuring metallic and other objects, handmade paper, and oil on canvas prints have been widely exhibited throughout South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the United States and many other places across the world.
His maiden solo art exhibition was held at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on August 7, 1976.
Family, friends remember artist Kalidas on 3rd death anniversary
Throughout his acclaimed career, he received multiple prestigious scholarships and fellowships including the Polish Government Scholarship in Graphic Art at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Art, Warsaw University; the French Government Superior Scholarship in Fine Arts for research in multicolour etching at Atelier-17, in Paris; Japan Foundation Fellowship on Japanese Woodblock Printing at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music; ICCR Special Scholarship for research in Contemporary Modern Sculpture, West Bengal Lalit Kala Academy Studio; and Asian Cultural Council New York, Fellowship with Artist Residency program in the US.
For his remarkable contribution to the Bangladeshi fine arts, Kalidas Karmakar was awarded the Shilpakala Padak in 2016 and the Ekushey Padak in 2018.
Source: United News of Bangladesh